To me it's always a pain in the ass but saves the camera from being dropped. Also, having a strap seems touristy

Absolutely not. My cameras are sans strap and are in a Billingham bag when not in my hands.

The straps that come with cameras are ridiculous billboards for the brand.

To each his own, my straps have saved my cameras on numerous ocassion, custom made and original. also in reply to another poster about changing lens while walking, I try not to do so, but have done so, I have even changed a lens with one hand while driving to a fast breaking story. There is nothing to prove strapless, you never know when someone will bump into you. A strap is another cheap tool for your expensive camera, your bag will protect you machine to a point, but your bag will not be damaged if it falls onto a hard surface.--28 years as a freelancer,(news,magazine, wedding photography) camera equip. over the years: Practica MLT, Canon A1, Minolta 9xi, 7xi, Dimage Z1,Fuji 5200,Canon S2,Pentax K100D,Olympus 380,Canon SX 10, Canon 40D ( http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Buckl/ )http://issuu.com/Lbuck